Born of Fire
by FIREoftheICE
Summary: Due to loss and fear John leaves Oz to find a new life in order to control his new found power. With anti-mutant factions, suppressed memory and a new room mate life is never easy.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Burning, Just Burning, the feeling of liquid fire coursing through his veins by an inferno inside him, a place that was always burning, 'shouldn't he be scared feeling his insides burn'? Yet it wasn't fear he could feel, no he could never be scared of this, this, this was 'freedom'. He wanted more, needed more of this blissful heat. As if the fire was listening to him the inferno grow, consuming his insides, burning within his chest, extending its volatile flames down his arms, his stomach past his pelvis, 'Oh God' right to his…

"John…..John…..JOHN….YOUR GOING TO BE LATE!"

Shooting to his feet gasping for breath, looking to his alarm clock, which was glaring at him from the draw at his bedside with its red judgmental lights reading 8:15.

"Oh Shit" slipping from his lips, not again, I can't be late today. Grabbing a pair of light brown chino shorts, and throwing a dark blue t-shirt over his head, taking up his school bag, he made his way down the hall to where his mother was picking up her keys preparing to leave for work.

Smiling whilst shaking her head, looking at her son with the same light blue snowflake eyes she teases "Honestly John is it really that hard to get out of bed?"

Smiling whilst grabbing a slice of bread from the table, turning to look at her giving the answer that he had discovered seven months ago covers pretty much anything that she asks "I'm 16" taking a bite out of his bread and moving his toes into the flip flops by the door "I need my sleep".

Rolling her eyes with a laugh she states, "Just because your 16 doesn't give you an excuse to be late for school. If another hundred 16 year olds in you grade can get to school on time I don't see why you can't"

"I'm not going to be late" ok may be a little late he though. Shouting "BYE" over his shoulder and making a dash down the street hoping that the bus would still be there.

'Of course the one day I want the bus to be running late is the one day it's on time' he curses to himself. Letting out a sigh of frustration and shoving his hands into his pockets, letting his feet take him down the sidewalk to school to receive yet another scalding from his tutor for being late. His dad was going to hit the fan when he found out about this. Snorting at that fact, dad yeah right, seeing him every few months, like it's so hard to get a flight from Perth to see his own son. Even when he does make the _generous_ effort to see me, all he does is bitch about how big of a disappointment I am to him and will be lucky to ever amount to anything. Fuck Him. It was an early lesson to learn, and most probably the most important, but were better off alone, just the two of us. Stopping at the entrance to the school and turning to face the sun, closing his eyes and simply enjoying Sydney's sun rays, letting the heat seep into his body, before having to spend the next few hours inside. God I love the sun, his last though before stepping into the school.

* * *

'Bing'

The sound of student's packing away, from their final lesson of the day, fill the classroom. The maths teacher Mr Peterson shouting over the noise for them to 'REVISE' for the exams coming up. Making his way down the corridor, turning to the call of "Hey John wait up"

Ah yes revision, with a smirk on his face John turns to see Andy heading towards him with a smile on his face, his chocolate brown eyes and short spiky dark hair a stark contrast to his pale skin. How he manages to keep his skin so pale in Sidney was beyond him. Andy, coming to a stop in front of him, asks in a quiet but expecting voice "still up for some revision?"

"My house, mums not back till late" with that said John turns and heads towards the exit, with Andy coming up alongside him. Extending his arm to his side to brush the back of his hand up against the back of Andy's, smirking at the widening of the smile on Andy's face. Oh I love revision.

* * *

Stepping into his room and dropping his bag into the corner, John turns to see Andy dropping his before closing the door to the bedroom. Taking a moment to just look at the other boy, slightly shorter than his own 6' height, yet with bulkier muscle compared to his own more swimmers like body. Glancing at the mirror set on the door just behind Andy, he couldn't help but smirk. He know he was good looking with his short disarrayed sandy blond hair, light snowflake blue eyes, high defined cheek bones, sharp jaw and nose, and full lips, not too skinny, but no way near bulky, narrow hips with an impressive v torso with a lightly defined six-pack, thank you weekend surfing job, all encased in his smooth sun kissed skin.

Closing the short distance between them, extending one hand to run through Andy's dark hair whilst the other snaking around his waist resting at the small of his back. Pressing their foreheads together, running his nose against the other boys, still staring into chocolate brown eyes filled with lust. Andy's breath skirting across his lips, making his cock twitch with anticipation within the confides of his shorts. Andy's tongue darts out wetting his lips, anticipating what is to come. After a moment, in a voice scarcely above a whisper, John asks "You want me?"

Andy's eyes slide close, a shiver moving across his body, in a slightly strangled voice dripping with need replies "Yes".

Moving his lips to brush gently across the other boys, "Good" he groans, before closing his eyes, bringing their lips roughly together. Swiping his tongue across the bottom of the boy's lips, seeking entrance, this is eagerly given. Duelling tongue's battling one another for dominance. Andy's hands slide into his hair, gripping his sandy strands and giving them a slight pull. Causing a deep groan to escape the back of his throat, he pulls the pale teen flush against him, revelling in full body contact. Breathlessly they release each other's lips. Grabbing the hems of Andy's shirt he pulls it above his head before removing his own. Running his hands over Andy's shoulder, palms spread moving down over his pectorals. With his thumb and fore finger pinching Andy erect left nipple, causing the boy to thrust his hips against John, rubbing their clothed erections against one another. Taking a step back, and releasing Andy, hooking his fingers within his own shorts, bringing them down to pool on the floor with his boxers. Looking over his shoulder at Andy as he makes his way to the bedside table, naked with his proud erection jutting out in front of him, removing a tube of lube and a condom from the draw, John simply calls "Well".

Snapping back to himself Andy follows John in stripping and crawls onto the bed, rising to his hands and knees as John stands behind him, placing the lube and condom on the bed. Grasping Andy's cheeks and spreading them apart to reveal his puckered hole. Stroking his right thumb over the darkened orifice and grinning as shudder runs through the form before him. Realising his hold and picking up the lube, coating his fingers with the cold gel, before placing the bottle down and sliding a slick finger over Andy's hole before pushing the digit inside the pale boy.

Twisting his finger slightly as it moves in and out of the body in front of him. As a second finger joins the first Andy starts rocking onto the digits. John curls his fingers to brush up against the boy's prostate, elating a load moan. To ensure less pain when accepting his throbbing dick he adds a third finger into the hot channel.

Unable to wait any longer, he removes his fingers, rips open the condom and rolls it down his leaking cock. Adding lube to his protected manhood, he comes to kneel on the bed between Andy's spread legs, positioning himself for his entrance. Holding his cock as he pushes forward, breaching the other teen. Both teens moan as he slides further within the hot channel until his balls hits the skin of Andy's cheeks. Stalling his movement's a minute to revel in the heat and the tight pressure surrounding his cock.

John starts to move. Slowly pulling out, to the tip, and pushing back inside to the hilt. Andy starts to push back. Taking the hint, John moves his hands to Andy's hips, as he starts to increase the pace. Pulling the other boys hips to meet his every thrust.

"Harder" Andy calls a he looks over his shoulder.

Pulling out slowly, he thrusts hard inside, gaining a cry of approval. Faster now, thrusting inside and pulling back, angling himself just right to hit the other boys prostate elating a desperately loud yelp from the pale boy's lips. He can feel his body start to burn inside. Pushing in and out of the hot channel and the heat increases. Spreading from his core across his chest and down his arms to the hands which are still clenching Andy's hips as his pulls them back to meet his movements.

Andy jerks his hips forward trying to escape his hold, yet unable to as his hands tighten their grip, forcible dragging them back to engulf his beating cock. The burning in his stomach had never been as hot before, as his thrusts increase in speed and become almost violent, as he approaches his climax. He can feel the heat traveling from his hands into the skin below them spreading throughout the other boy.

Sobbing exudes of "Oh GOD…..Please…..Please….." fill the room from the dark haired teen.

Removing a hand from the boy's hip to reach around, rapping his fingers around Andy's dripping erection, jerking him off in time with his deep thrusts. A few strokes are all it takes before Andy screams out in release, shooting his load over John's hands and the sheets below.

Feeling Andy's muscles tighten around his throbbing cock is too much, slamming in deep, once, twice, then burying himself within the boy grunting as his climax overtakes him.

Gasping for breath as the burning retreats within, returning to slumber. After a moment, both still breathless, he pulls out, as Andy falls to his stomach, landing next to the other boy on his back. Eyes closed content in the post orgasmic state.

"Wow" Andy gasps, with a large satisfied smile. Turning to face him opening his eyes, "that was…hot" he breathes leaning in to kiss John.

Pulling away after a second, looking the other boys sweat socked body up and down replying with a smirk "Yeah it was". Standing up and removing the condom from his now flaccid penis, rapping it in tissue from the side of his bed and throwing it into the bin. Making his way over to the pile of discarded cloths to redress, calling out "You should leave, my mum will be back soon" pulling up his green boxers.

Andy askes "I thought ya said ya mum won't be back til late?" with slight disappointment in his voice as he moves of the bed to redress.

"Yeah" replying, pulling on his dark blue t-shirt now standing fully dressed looking at his half-dressed shag.

"Oh, Do ya wana hang out for a bit, we could actually do sum revision" Andy questions with a hopeful expression on his face as he finishes dressing.

"Na man, it's cool" shaking his head, why can't he just be happy with a shag and leave?

Picking up his bag, with a slight frown marring his pale skin, pulling open the door and leaving with a rough "whatever" called out from down the hall.

Shaking his head and laughing quietly he moves to take up his bag. Might as well get some work done, as he sits down in the wooden chair next to the small black plastic desk cramped in the corner of the room. Dumping his school book's out of his bag and onto the desk. Running a hand through his sweat damped hair. I really should take a shower. Standing up and moving to open the small window, just opposite the door. Sliding the glass open to allow the strong smell of sex to leave the room.

Grabbing a towel from the white wooden wardrobe next to his desk, and a fresh pair of boxers, he makes his way to the bathroom just opposite his room. Yet stops dead in his tracks once out of his bedroom door on hearing his mum call in a firm calm voice "St John Allerdyce, I think we need to talk."

Standing frozen for a second with a montage of Oh Shit, Oh Shit, Oh Shit running through his head. What is she doing home? With his heart pounding against his ribs, he finally makes his way towards the sound of his mother's voice in the kitchen. She's going to kill me.

Stopping at the door way raising his eyes from the floor to look at his mum sitting on one of the four high backed wooden chairs at the round wooden kitchen table with a cup of her favourite mint tea griped with both hands as she locks eyes with her son.

As their eyes meet, a feeling of a led weight settles in the pit of his stomach. Oh god this is it, this is where she never wants anything to do with me again. She's going to kick me out. She's going to hate me. No more the two off just, just me, alone. He can feel the colour draining from his face. The only time she ever used his whole name was when he had done something wrong.

Brushing back her light chestnut coloured hair, asking him in the same firm voice "Who was your _friend_" placing strong emphasis on the last word.

Returning his gaze to the cheap laminated kitchen floor, feeling sure that she could feel how scared he is. He swallows the lump in his throat and in a cracking voice, mummers "Andy".

"Andy" she repeats the name as a question.

Shifting from foot to foot, keeping his head bowed replying in a voice that trembled with a small tinge fear "Yh….he come back with me from school to revise…exam stuff…you know".

He could feel the pricks at the back of his eyes. Closing them to stop from letting any tears fall. He never cries. Crying never solves anything. Yet he knew that she knew he was lying. He could never lie to her. She was the one person how knew him. Everyone else just saw what they wanted, someone who didn't care about anyone else apart from himself. But that wasn't true. He cares about her. And she was the only one who cares about him.

"Exam stuff" she repeats again with the same questioning tone.

He could feel the weight of the led in his stomach cave in. Twisting his insides together in such a way that he thought they would never return to their rightful places. He could feel his body start to shake, tremors running down his arms and legs, wondering if his legs will be able to hold him up much longer. He couldn't answer her. His throat was to dry. Every time he tries to open his mouth nothing would come out. He couldn't even nod his head for movement, apart from the involuntary tremors, was impossible.

"John" his mother calls in a soft voice and in that moment everything stops. There's pure silence. His body stops trembling. His eyes stop stinging. His stomach unwinds. After a drawn out moment, he lifts his head slowly to finally look her in the eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

He could feel the wet tears streaking down his face. Why was he crying? He wondered as he never cry's. Suddenly a great wave of sadness washes over him. Crushing him, pulling him down, and trying to drown him. So strong a sadness that it feels like the waves were real and crushing his body. Then anger, fiery anger takes hold of him. The inferno inside growing, extending through every cell of his body. The anger feeding the blaze, making it hotter, bigger and stronger until it consumed his every thought.

Looking up from his position on the floor, seeing the blurry figure, not knowing who or what it is but knowing without a doubt that this is the source of his anger, the focus of his hate. He can feel the fire burning upon the hate, as though the fire hates the figure just as strongly as he does. Then it's no longer him and the fire. He is the fire, every flick of flame a part of him, no longer two separate entities. Yet two parts of a whole, completing one another. He wants to destroy the figure that has caused him this sadness. Burn it from existence to become nothing but ash. He hates it, hates the pain this entity has caused and his fire grows, he grows, stretching out towards the figure.

The grouch sounding of a man shouting "Oi Kid" startles him awake. Taking deep breaths as reminisces of the dream leave his mind. It had been the same dream he had been having for the past three months now, ever since he had left home.

Turning around to face the owner of the voice, he lets out a sigh. It was Gavin. One of the other six squatters that he was sharing this hell hole with. He supposes that he'd been lucky to have even found a place that offered some shelter at night, from the September weather of Cairns Australia, for someone who now had nothing. 'And that's who I am' his own bitter voice vibrating round his head, 'you're a nothing'.

Sneering at the short, middle age man, dressed in an oiled stained blue jeans, a moth bitten black cotton jumper with three horizontal light green stripes running across his chest, and a blue baseball cap adorning his head that looked like it had been dragged from the marsh lands.

He hated Gavin. Not for the range of clothes that he wore, that would be stupid. You wore whatever you could get your hands on to keep yourself clothed. No, he hated him for the fact that he had been trying to steal his sleeping spot against the back wall, of what must had been a house at some point, but now has more resemblance to a third world shanty town building. It was in one of the neighbourhoods that had been flooded a month before he arrived.

"What do you want?" John asks as he stands, pulling on the light brown leather jacket that he had been using as a quilt during the night to keep himself warm. It was one of the items that he had stolen, since all he had when he left home were the clothes on his back, a packet of cigarettes, his wallet, twenty dollars and a gold coloured zippo lighter with a light blue flame painted on the front with the engraving of _**son**_ running along the bottom, which had been a gift from his mum on his sixteenth birthday.

"Don't bitch to me kid" Gavin says, baring his crocked yellow teeth, "You're the one screaming down the place."

Grabbing the black and orange backpack, which he had stolen from the beach, now containing what little he had managed to acquire, and throwing it onto his back. He Moves into Gavin's face as he hisses "Fuck You" before shouldering past him and through the rotten wooden front door and onto the front lawn.

With clenched fists he starts stalking down the street in the direction of the local shops in a hunt of something to eat. He knows that sometimes he would call out in his sleep, but it wasn't anything he could control. He wasn't even the only one; a few others would shout out too, it was just one of the things you got used to when sleeping around other squatters. Yet Gavin had been trying to get him thrown out of the house ever since he got there a month ago. "Fucking prick thinks he's the bloody king of that shit whole" John mumbles under his breath. Luckily none of the others listen to him or he would have to find another place to sleep. Since leaving Sydney and having to live on his own was harder than he had once thought.

The memory of the first day, waking up under a jungle gym in the park a few miles from his house, in nothing but his dark blue top, chino shorts and bare blackened feet flashed before his eyes bringing him to a stop on the side of the road. Closing his eyes, remembering the moment of waking up and wondering why he had slept outside, until the crushing realization of the fact had hit him. He was alone. He had wanted to go home, to his own bed, but the feeling inside of him told him that he couldn't, that he needed to get out of Sydney, even though he didn't know why.

It had taken a few days, having had to steal a pair of trainers and the backpack with the light brown leather jacket inside, from the beach whilst there owner was out swimming, to come up with a plan of getting away, having had to sleep in the back streets of houses and public gardens during that time. It had been simple really, he had needed to get to somewhere where nobody knew him, and which had the potential for him to get a job, for schooling was impossible now if he wanted to have food to eat. That's how he had ended up in Cairns; it was backpacker central with the chance of getting a job that wouldn't need to have a full background check, therefore able to use the fake driving licence he had gotten after his birthday, and given cash in hand. It had taken nearly two month to get here, having had to hitch hike, for the $20 was long ago spent on simply trying to feed himself before having had to turn to stealing for food. It had been hard to start with but it was either that or starving so the gilt faded fast.

It had only been a week after arriving that he had been able to get a job at _the bird_, a coffee shop linked with a hostel, just a two minutes' walk form Cairns Harbour Lights. It was perfect, after having convinced them that he was simply backpacking around himself but wished to stay a while in Cairns. The job paid in cash and he was able to use the hostel's showers and laundry facilities for free. They even gave him the option to stay there for cheaper than board rates, yet he had refused as he had gotten used to sleeping rough and needed to be careful with the money that he spent.

Taking a deep breath and shaking the thoughts of the past couple of months from his head, he continued on his way down the street to find something to eat.

The walk from his sleeping pit, for it wasn't a home, to the shops took about twenty minutes. The houses around were pretty much as derelict as the one that he was staying in, with rotten doors, cracked windows and caved in roots. It would have been easier to stay in a house closer to the less flood damaged area but that would have only brought suspicion. Even though the house he was in was just as damaged as the rest he passed, it was the last one on the street; far enough away that nobody would notice it being used for squatting.

After walking into the small local shop and buying a red juicy apple, for it wasn't good practice to steal from a place so close to where he was staying as he had found out in Townsville, John made his way across the small park opposite the shop to catch the bus that would take him to Cairns Pire and from there a short walk to _the bird_ to start his shift.

* * *

Rising from his seat as the bus came to a stop outside Cairns Pier John made his way down the steps to start the short walk to _the bird_. On his trek to the shop he tried in vain to avoid barging into the busy Saturday crowd until he came to stop in front of the coffee shop. The shop had large glass windows and a glass door, and a yellow banner running along the top with a pitcher of a black hawk in mid-flight over the entrance on the right.

Pushing open the door, John made his way between the yellow tables and black chairs to the back of the shop where the staff room was located behind a door with the same mild yellow colour as the tables. He entered the simple 1234 code in the code box mounted on the wall next to the door.

Entering the staff room which walls were painted white, and three doors each one labelled either 'hostile', 'floor' or 'shop'. The staff lockers where stacked against the left wall, a yellow table with four chairs at the back of the room near the 'hostile' black door. Also a kitchen island on the right of the room completed with cupboards, fridge, microwave, sink and an instant free hot drinks machine.

Walking over to his locker to retrieve the shops uniform, which was a light yellow shirt with black buttons and navy blue trousers, and clean underwear, leaving behind his bag and light brown leather jacket, he crossed the room to the black door labelled _Hostile_ where he would be able to take a shower before he started his 8 hour shift.

Freshly showered and dressed, having thrown the dirty clothes in one of the hostile's washing machines and having dumped the borrowed towel into the discarded bin to be washed, John made his way back to the staff room.

Once inside he was confronted by the sight of Jess sitting at the table. Her long blond hair tied back in a ponytail and light blue eyes behind rectangle pink glasses.

"Hey Sweet" she calls in a clear English accent "you're on with me today" flashing John a smile reviling slightly crocked white teeth.

"Great Jess" John reply's with a grunt whilst taking out a cup from the cupboard above the sink, poring honey in the bottom, and settling in beneath the coffee machine.

Jess's high pitch laughter fills the room as the coffee starts to fill his cup.

"Oh, is sweet not having a good day?" she asks John as he takes a seat across from her with his coffee cup in hand.

Instead of replying to her teasing, settling instead of glaring at her over the rim of his mug as he starts drinking. Jess was a backpacker and had been working at the bird for two months before he had got the job here. She was twenty two, and had been traveling around Australia with her boyfriend Matt for the past year and a half. Yet as they were both from England their visas were coming to end and they had decided to spend the last few months in Cairns. She had been the one who trained him and was pretty easy to get along with as nothing seemed to bother her even when he was in a mood and just blanket everyone; she never took it to hart and simply allowed him get on with it.

Yet the one annoying thing about her was the fact that she always called him 'sweet'. After having snapped at her telling her "I'm not fucking sweet so stop fucking calling me that" with a vile sneer on his face, she had just smiled at him and had said "Of course you are sweet, because of the amount of honey you put in your coffee". After that he had decided it best not to comment, at least it wasn't because she thought he wasn't 18, which he had told everyone that he was.

"So what is bothering you then?" she asks with a smile of concern as her eyes lock with John.

"Nothing just had a bad night that's all." John reply's averting his gaze; she was a bit too friendly sometimes always wanting to know if he was alright and if anything was bothering him, but she never pushed too much. It's not like he needed help. He can take care of himself and his problems without anyone's help.

"Really, it seems to me that you're in a bit of a mood today. And I know it's not because you're working with me, you love working with me. Who wouldn't?" Jess laughs.

John's lips twitch up in amusement; it was true she was pretty easy to work with. Yet he was feeling a bit run down, ever since having left Sydney it felt like he never had any time to be himself. Always having to think what he had to do to get through the day, what the next day would bring, did he even have a future anymore?

Letting out a sigh, as he cradles his coffee cup in both of his hands, staring at the dark drown liquid he admits "I'm just tired Jess, nothing to worry about" moving his eyes too stare into Jesses blue ones.

Her pale eyebrows rise to his admission and in an exasperated voice says "Of course you're tired; you've been on every shift for the past two weeks." Shaking her head "You need to let go and enjoy yourself. What's the point in working all the time and not having a bit of fun at the end?"

"Thanks, but I don't exactly have money to waste" John snaps at her taking a large gulp of the hot liquid.

"John, you've been here over a month now and you haven't once been out and actually explored, let alone seen the night life. Why are you even here if not to have a good time and see what's around?"

John ignores the question, instead taking another gulp of his coffee looking over at the locker as if they were the most interesting things in the world.

"Exactly" Jess's eyes sparkle as a grin takes over her face "you'll come out with me tonight after work. It won't cost much as we'll be drinking at mine before we go to _Shell._ And its free entrance on Saturday's and supper cheap drinks so no need to worry about spending too much money"

John stays silent; it's not that he didn't want to go out, because he did. It had been so long since he had had any type of fun and the opportunity to let go and be a proper teenager without any worries was tempting. Yet there were other things that the money could be spent on, more vital things like food and maybe a new top.

Jess's voice brakes through his dilemma "You're eighteen John you need to have some fun. I promise we'll have an amazing night."

John looks at her, smirking at her statement. He knew that he shouldn't go but the voice inside his head was screaming at him to let go. Just for one night, not having to carry what felt like the weight of Ayers rock on his shoulders was just too tempting to say no to.

"Alright I'll come" He decrees as he gets to his feet, downing the last of his coffee and placing the mug into the sink.

Jess smiles brightly as she moves to place her now empty mug alongside his. "You won't regret it" she says excitedly as she places her hand on his arm, "You can come straight to mine when we finish here and we'll pick up some cheap drinks on the way."

John turns to face her "I've only got the old jeans and t-shirt that I wore in today" he states "I don't have any nice clothes with me" or at all he adds to himself.

Jess just smiles up at him "No worries, Matt's got tons of shirts and trousers that you can borrow" she laughs "honestly he has more clothes than I do."

"C'mon we better make a start before Brian barges in here demanding why we haven't relieved him yet" Jess says.

John gives out a quiet snort before grabbing his light blue apron and name tag from his locker and making his way to the door labelled 'shop' to start his shift with a smile tugging at his lips. Thinking that tonight was going to be a much needed night of letting lose.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ok you're going to have to excuse the mess" Jess says as she turns the key to her third floor apartment that she shares with her boyfriend.

The shift at the bird had gone by surprisingly fast. After Jess had closed and locked up they had made their way to her apartment which was only a twenty minute walk from the shop. Located not too far from the clubbing district ARK where the majority of youth hostels and student accommodations were nearby. They had managed to pick up two bottles of vodka and two large bottles of coke, they had a deal going two bottles of vodka for fifteen bucks and had decided to go half's, for there pre drinks.

"Don't worry" John smiles taking a step through the open door and having a look around, "I'm sure it's not as bad as my place".

Jess snort's closing the door behind her "I don't believe that" she says as she moves past him in the small hallway to the open door at the end of the hall.

Fallowing her down the shot hallway and passing by two doors on either side of the hall until he came into the lounge. The room was painted in a lime green with stained black wooden flooring. The last rays of the sun were pouring in through two large windows directly in front of him, which overlooked the streets below and he could glimpse the outline of the harbour in the distance. There were two dark green sofas, one pushed against the left wall and another stretched out under the windows. A large black rectangle coffee table was located in the centre of the room and against the right wall stood a black metal media stand, completed with a TV and music system.

"So, what do you think?" Jess askes as she makes her way through an arched doorway to the right had corner of the room.

"I think you were lying about the mess" John says as he follows her through the archway to a small kitchen, again painted lime green yet with light blue tiles around the sink.

Jess turns around still grasping the handle to the open white fridge in the corner of the room with a mock shocked expression on her face, "Sweet I wouldn't lie to you" she gasps.

John lets out a small laugh, handing her the two bottles of coke that he had stored in his rucksack and placing the bottles of vodka on the side. Leaning his hip against the kitchen side as he looked around the small room until his eyes landed on a photo pasted on the wall next to the fridge. His heart gave a painful squeeze in his chest as he took in all the happy faces in the picture. The smiling face of Jess looking at him with, who must be, her boyfriend Matt with his arm around her waist and what appeared to their parents standing on either side of them, a small boy, about the age of ten with Jess's blond hair was standing in front of what must have been their mother. The people in the pitcher looked so happy and he could feel the love they had with each other just by looking at this one pitcher.

Scowling John rivets his gaze to the bare wall opposite him; there was no reason why he should be angry, but that thought didn't stop the feeling from growing in his chest. Why couldn't he have a family like that?

"Sweet are you alright?" Jess's voice brings him out of his thoughts.

"I'm fine" he offered her a small tight smile. There was no point in getting down on things that he couldn't change, and tonight was meant to be about having fun and a chance to forget how shitty his life had turned out. "Do you have anything we could drink while the coke chills?" He asks as a way to change the subject.

She looks at him for a moment before giving him a warm smile, even though he could see the concern in her eyes, she wouldn't push it and ask any more questions. Reaching into the fridge she pulls out two cans of XXXX handing one to John. Pulling open a cupboard next the sink and picking out a stubby holder which she throws at him as she picks one out for herself. "So you don't get rings on the table, there's no way I'm losing our security deposit" Jess says as they place there cans in the foam stubby holders, hers had a picture of a blue kangaroo while his had a red wombat.

"C'mon lets go pick out something for you to wear shall we" She says after taking a sip of her drink and making her way out of the kitchen, with John right behind her.

"Are you sure your boyfriend won't mind me borrowing his clothes" John asks a bit sceptical that her boyfriend would really appreciate a stranger wearing his clothes. He was currently wearing the old jeans and top that he had washed at the hostel.

"It's fine I promise, we've lived in hostels and camp sites for the past year and a half where we traded garments all the time. There's only so much you can carry when your backpacking, as you know, and people get sick of wearing the same thing all the time." Jess explains as she walks down the hall to the door on the right "It's only since we decided to stay in Cairns for the last few months that we've had the chance to buy more clothes, and Matt went a little crazy with that fact." She laughs as she pushes open the door and stops dead.

Looking over her shoulder John smirks letting out an amused laugh "I take it back, you weren't lying" he says to her.

The room had a large metal bed, a wooden wardrobe, two sets of draws along the wall opposite the bed and a small window with the blinds drawn. However the cause of his amusement was the state the room was in. Clothes were scattered across the bed and floor, two pizza boxes were on top of one set of draws and a stack of dirty plates was on the other.

"I'm going to kill him" Jess says with deadly seriousness, yet John could do nothing but laugh, this was at complete odds to what he had thought about her. She had always seemed like the kind of person who was a neat freak, which was what she was like at work, but clearly he had been wrong.

Making their way over the mess in the room, Jess pulls open the wooden wardrobe door's, after a few moments of consideration she pulls out a black long sleeve shirt with a blood red flower embroidered over the left breast pocket and a pair of light grey chino trousers. Turning around she hands the garments to him.

"Here, these will do for the night. Why don't you go get a shower first and get ready while I find something to wear? Matt should be back by eight so we should be ready by the time they get here." Jess explains turning back to the wardrobe. "The bathroom is just across the hall, spare towels are underneath the sink" she adds, chowing on her bottom lip, trying to decide what she was going to wear tonight.

Retreating back to the kitchen, placing his drink on the side, John grabs his bag off the floor and moves to the bathroom.

After showering and dressing in the borrowed clothes, John takes his wash bag out of his bag, cramming his own clothes in its place. Retrieving his toothbrush and paste he preceded to brush his teeth when he caught his reflection in the mirror that was mounted on the wall above the sink. His sandy blond hair was now all one length and almost reached down to his chin, framing his face and highlighting his much more sharper cheek bones, and under his light snowflake blue eyes he could clearly make out the dark bags that had become a permanent fixture due to not always getting enough sleep, however his sun kissed skin made them not so prominent unless one was looking for them.

Washing out his mouth and packing his wash gear back into his bag, he takes a step back to admire the clothes he now wore. The shirt was slightly too long for his arms and so he had ended up rolling up the sleeves just above his elbow. The trousers were a perfect length but were slightly too big around the waist yet nothing that his belt couldn't hold up, he had lost weight over the past few months, yet he still retained his strong trim body even if his muscle definition had gone down slightly due to missing a few meals.

Picking up his bag and making his way out of the bathroom and into the living room where Jess was sat on one of the couch playing with her phone. Music was now playing from two silver speakers on either side of the media station in the right of the room. Throwing his bag by the door he spooks Jess by saying "bathrooms free".

Jess jumps up from her seat and her eyes rove over him "Told you that you were Matt's size" Jess says with a smile on her face, "Just texted him, says that he'll be here in half an hour with Jamie, Emma and Rich. So I'm going to jump in for a quick shower and then we can start drinking." With that said she moves past him and he heard the bathroom door close before going into the kitchen and retrieving his bear, than back into the lounge to take a seat on the sofa below the window, taking a deep gulp of his bear, settling in to wait for Jess to finish in the shower.

Twenty minutes later Jess came back into the room and he drops his head from staring at the celling. Looking over her in her navy blue frilly dress that dropped just below her knees and had small picture of white doves scattered across. Her blond hair was flowing freely down her back and she wore a matching set of silver hooped earrings, necklace and bracelet.

"You look nice" John complements her with a grin on his face as a blush creeps across her cheeks.

"Thank you" she replies with a large smile on her face "let's open up the vodka shall we."

Fallowing her to the kitchen, Jess takes one of the bottles of coke out of the fridge before going in the same cupboard as before and retrieving two tall glasses before she opens another cupboard, this one under the sink, and removes a white table cloth.

"Sweet grab the vodka will you" she tells him as she moves back into the lounge. Following her with one of the bottles of vodka clutched in his right hand and places it on the now white covered coffee table and reclaiming his seat next to her.

Jess opens the bottle "let's get drunk shall we" she says grinning at John as she pours each of them two fingers and half fills the rest of the glasses with coke.

"First drink down in one sweet" Jess explains as she takes her glass, clicking it with his and proceeding to down the liquid. Placing the glass back onto the table and looking at John who hadn't reached for his drink yet. "C'mon sweet, you wanted a cheap night, might as well get hammered here than having to pay for drinks out" she explains.

John shakes his head as he reaches for his glass and bringing it to his lips saying "I didn't realize that you were such a drinker" before downing his drink just as Jess had done.

"Everyone deserves to let go every now and then" she laughs out as she pours another drink for each of them and handing him back his glass as she picks up her own "to a great night" she cheers clinking there glasses together again.

Not long after Jess pored there next drink the sound of the front door opening and voices coming down the hallway drew their attention.

"Hey Jess, sorry were late. Rich had to pick up some bears" a male voice said before the owner of the voice, a tall dark haired six foot guy, came into the lounge with two dark haired women and a brunet man following behind.

"That's fine" Jess assures the man "John this is Matt" she indicates the man that had spoken as both she and John stand from the sofa.

"Hi" John says holding out his right hand to Matt, "Jess said that you wouldn't mind me borrowing these" indicating the cloths he was wearing with a wave of his left hand.

"Course mate, no worries" Matt smiles as he shakes John's hand. Releasing his hand Matt turns and kisses Jess on the cheek before saying "I'm going to grab a quick shower" and leaving the room.

"John this is Jamie" Jess introduces him to the slightly taller of the two dark haired women wearing a short black dress.

"Hi" John says as they both shakes hands.

"And this is Emma and Rich" Jess finishes first pointing to the other girl wearing a short dark green dress with orange flowers around the neck line, and then the guy slightly taller than him wearing a white long sleeved shirt with light blue stripes running down it and dark blue jeans.

John smiles as he shakes their hands.

"Jess can we get some glasses hun?" Jamie askes Jess holding up a clear carrier bag containing two bottle of wine.

"Sure" Jess answers as the three women make their way into the kitchen.

"So how do you know Jess?" the guy, Rich, askes as he puts down the case of beer from under his left arm and taking a seat on the other couch just to John's right

"We work together" John says as he sits back down and reaching for his drink. "What about you?" he asks after taking a drink.

"I work with Matt at the restraint Sea Coast with Jamie and Emma" Rich explains as he opens a can from the box.

John hand's him his now empty red wombat stubby holder, which Rich takes with a laugh and says "rings" causing John to smirk around his glass.

"Ok boys" Jamie says as the three girls come back from the kitchen, her and Emma now holding a full glass of white wine in their hands, the two girls take a seat on the same sofa as Rich and Jess reclaims her seat next to him, placing a pack of cards and a pint glass in the centre of the table before picking up her glass. "You know how to play Ring of Fire John?" Jamie askes looking at him over the rim of her wine glass.

John looks at her raising a dark blond eye brow "No" he states.

"Really, you've never played it? Emma asks dubiously.

Moving his eyes to the green dressed girl, trying to keep a sneer off his lips not wanting to alienate Jesse's friends, "No" he repeats.

"That's fine hun" Jamie reassures him tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear "the rules are simple but it takes a bit of time to get used to them" she says with a smile and turns to Jess and askes "do you have a pen and paper handy?"

"Sure" Jess says going into the kitchen and bringing back a yellow notebook and pen before sitting back down.

Placing her glass on the coffee table, Jamie flips open the note book and in the margin writes down the names of the cards from Ace to King.

"Ok hun, firstly the pack of cards are set in a small circle around a pint glass over lapping one another" she starts to explain as Jess opens the pack of cards and does what Jamie had just described. "Each player takes a turn in picking a card and they have to do whatever the rules responding to that card says" she carries on as she continues to write in the note book "If you pick a card from Ace to four you have to drink the number in fingers of your drink. Five means that all the guys have to drink and six means all the girls in the game have to drink. Seven is a fun one, it's called 'I've never' where the owner of the card say's something that they've never done and if you've done it you have to take a drink."

Jess and Emma let out a giggle at this and Emma says "it's a good way to see how dirty someone is in the bedroom."

"You have to answer honestly" Jamie says in a firm voice "we won't judge" she winks at him before continuing. "Eight, you have to nominate a mate to take a drink. Nine you have to bust a rhyme and then we vote whether you need to take a drink if it's truly awful. Ten you get to make a new rule that stays in place until the next Ten comes up. Jack is snake eyes where we can't look you in the eyes or else we have to take a drink, but once someone looks at you, you no longer have snake eyes. Queen is waterfall where you pick a direction and start drinking your drink and the person in that direction can't stop drinking until you have and it goes on like that round the circle. If you get a King card you have to poor some of your drink into the pint glass and the last person to get a King has to down the glass." Jamie finishes writing and hands the note pad over to him.

"Ahhh I always get the king" Rich moans.

"No you don't" Jess laughs "Last time it was Matt and he ended up throwing up". Everyone laughs at that as John takes a look at the list in his hand.

"Oh and if you pick up a card that brakes the circle of cards you have to down the rest of your drink" Emma adds.

"Ok. I think I get it" John says.

"It's ok sweet, we'll go slow the first game so you get used to it" Jess reassures him stroking his arm.

After playing a few games, with Matt having joined them half way through the first, John was feeling quite buzzed. He and Jess had made their way through the first bottle of vodka and were making decent progress on their second. He had picked the fourth King in the last game, which meant he had had to down a vile mixture of vodka, coke, wine and beer. It was nice just letting go and not worrying about anything. There was a moment in the second game where Rich got the seven and asked "I've never swallowed after giving head" that had gotten their attention after he had taken a drink and then was bombarded with questions and had told them that he was bi.

The guys and Emma had been a little surprised but Jess had screamed "I know it" whilst Jamie had laughed and called it hot. The game had continued without any more questions or difference in attitude towards him.

"Ok" Jess calls swaying as she stands up from the couch, "It's half eleven now, shall we make a move to Shell?" she asks everyone before downing the last of her drink.

"That sounds like a plan" Jamie answers as she places her empty glass on the table.

Downing the rest of his drink John gives Matt a hand removing the empty glass's and cans to the kitchen. Once all evidence of the drinks had been removed from the lounge Matt came back from the bedroom with a dark purple throw.

"Sorry mate but we don't have any spare quilts" Matt tells John as he puts the throw on the cough under the window. Matt had offered him to stay the night, once John told him that he was staying in a hostel just outside the centre, which John had readily accepted.

"Na that will be great" John assures him, it had been a long while since he had slept on anything more than newspapers on a hard floor.

"Let's make a move people" Jamie calls out as she links her arm with Emma and starts walking down the corridor and out of the flat with the other following closely behind.

Trekking down the three flights of stairs was slow, yet filled with laughter and amusement due to the fact that both Jamie and Emma were in front and looking as though they might fall at any moment in their high heels.

The walk to Shell took only ten minutes, in which time John had the opportunity to smoke thanks to the fact that both Rich and Jamie smoked, he didn't smoke as much as he used to as they simply cost too much but it was nice to have one once in a while.

After having their id checked at the door by one of the bouncers, John thanked the gods for having had got the fake id yet again, they made their way inside.

Once the door closed behind them, John looked around at the first club that he had ever been into. In Sydney he had never gone to a club before. He had only used his id for getting smokes and sometimes the occasional drink from the local shop, not for going out on the town; it wasn't like he had had any close friends to go with.

Already the club looked busy. The bar, which stretched along the left side of the room, had people crowded around for drinks. Long black leather sofas occupied half of the room near them and the window. The dance floor took up the remainder of the room, with a DJ booth, which was buzzing with people and loud music filling the room.

John followed the others as they made their way around the dance floor to the back of the room through two black double doors which Matt push open to reveal toilets to the left and a flight of stairs leading upstairs.

"Upstairs opened at half eleven" Matt explains over his shoulder as the group of six make their way up the stairs "Doubt it's that busy yet".

Opening another set of doors to reveal a much larger dance floor that was centred in the middle of the room. Two small bars were located on either side of the floor and small black leather sofas, chairs and tables were on the other two sides against the walls allowing people to walk around the floor and not disturbed the people in their seats.

Matt was right, John thought, the upstairs was practically empty with only a few people at the closest bar and a small group of guys at a table across the room.

As they made their way over to the bar on the other side of the room Emma calls out "Twelve lemon drop's please" to the dark haired man behind the bar.

"What's a lemon drop" John askes Rich as the bar tender sets out two trays of six shot glasses on the bar.

"There Emma's favourite and this is the only place that make them right apparently" Rich tells him rolling his eyes. "It's basically vodka, lemon juice and sugar".

"There great and you know it Rich" Emma says as she pays the bar tender and slides one of the trays down the bar to where John, Rich and Matt were standing.

Once everyone had a shot in hand Matt cheered before they all downed the shot. John could still vaguely taste the vodka but it was concealed with the taste of lemon and sweet sugar.

After downing there second shot Jess orders six vodka and cokes. Once everyone had a drink in hand the six of them make their way over to a table on the side of the room surrounded by two sofas. Matt and Jess taking one sofa, Emma and Jamie the other, leaving Rich and John to drag two chairs from the next table to join them.

As the night progressed each of them took it in turns to buy rounds, Matt bought Tequila slammers, and Jamie bought Jager-bombs. Rich decided on Flatliner which consisted of Sambuca, Tequila and hot sauce. Matt, Jess and Emma had refused to drink their second shot as they had been on the edge of throwing the first one up, which left three of the vile concoctions too the other three. John finished up the rounds with Rum and coke as they all had had enough of shots by that time and needed to get the vile taste of Rich's Flatliner out of their mouths.

It was about half an hour later, all six of them were on the now packed dance floor in a small circle, when John felt a burning sensation inside him. Firstly he thought that the burn was due to the alcohol, yet he had never felt this kind of burn before, it reminded him of the sensation he had when he was dreaming, yet slightly different at the same time.

The burning inside his chest felt as though it was trying to reach something at the back of the room by the fire escape near the bar. Yet looking over John couldn't see anything. As a minuet passed the heat in his chest had only increased, the pulling sensation had gotten stronger. Having had unknowingly stopped dancing he starts to massage the source of the burn, just below his heart, and staring in the direction of the black double fire doors across the room, until Jess grabs him by his elbow.

"Are you alright sweet" Jess yells at him over the loud music.

John looks at her before turning back to fire doors. There was something behind them doors that belongs to him. He didn't know how he knew that but he did. Whatever was behind there was his, the burning inside told him so. It was as if a piece of him was behind them doors calling to him and he needed to find out what that piece was.

"Hmmm" John hums before turning away from the door to shout near her ear "I'm going to get a drink".

"I'll come with you" Jess states releasing his elbow in favour of taking his hand as they start to make their way through the packed dance floor to the back bar.

The burning and pulling sensation inside of his chest was getting stronger the closer they got to the door. As they neared the edge of the dance floor John stops dead in his tracks, liquid fire running through every vein in his body.

Jess releases his hand and moves in front of him, turning round to look him in the eyes. She opens her mouth to say something yet at that moment John could feel a sudden change with the essence behind the fire doors. As his eyes snap in its direction, the sound of stretching wood fills the room, louder than the beating music coursing throughout the dance floor. Everyone on the floor stops dancing, looking around trying to discover where the ungodly sound was coming from.

Another almighty groan slams through the air. Everyone's eyes now locked on the same doors that were holding John's entire attention.

He could feel it moving against the doors. With one final barrage the doors were blown outwards, wooden shrapnel flying over the room.

Screams of pure panic and fear fill the air as golden waves of fire crashes over them. Clawing from floor to ceiling, as it sped through the doors at a prolific rate, consuming everything within its path.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

John could only vaguely perceive the screams of pain of those caught in the flames. As they join those of fear and panic throughout the top floor of the club. The smell of burning wood, plastic, leather and flesh were barley acknowledged by his nostrils. His entire attention, every cell of his being, was being consumed by the beauty of the golden blaze hurtling throughout the room.

He wanted to reach out, to envelop himself within the burning flames. His stomach started to flip, excitedly, as the tendrils of heat began to lap at his skin, calling to him. He could feel the fire wanting to rap itself around him, to offer him protection, exception, love and so much more. His heart gave a painful squeeze as the emotions of the fire seeped into him, reminding him of so much of what his mum gave him, before he was not alone.

Turning, John looked at Jess, who was screaming his name in a voice filled with panic. Her right hand reached out to grab hold of wrist.

Looking into her blue eyes he could see the desperation and panic shining their and it only took a quick look over his shoulder to see why.

The room, once packed with dancing body's, was now filled with individuals panicking, trying to fight their way to the stairs, the only source of escape from the glories flames. Yet bodies littered the floor where no flame had yet touched. Men and women were fighting one another in the primal need for survival. Not caring or noticing the people they stood on. The people they throw out of their way. The people they sentence to death, in the hope of their own survival. Yet even with their efforts it would not be enough. The flames were going to consume the majority of them before they could even come close to continuing lives.

John turns back, looking at Jess and he knows that she sees the same as him. He could see the fear and sadness, marred with hopelessness and acceptation in her eyes. Yet she does not even try to make a run for it; she simply tightens her fingers around his wrist as tears slide from the corners of her eyes. Searching her eyes he can see way she does not try to escape the flames, she does not want to leave him.

The realisation hits him, so strongly that he can almost forget that there is a blazing inferno simply seconds away from turning them into ashes, Jess cares about him.

Without thinking he pulls her flat against him, wrapping his arms around her. She grips his shirts, burying her face against his chest so forcefully that he can feel the wetness of her face even through his shirt.

This isn't going to happen, John decrees with his every being; she's not going to die.

The flames reach up, about to crash over the two of them who are holding each other so tightly as though they were trying to become one person.

That's what he wants John thinks, the fire likes him, it won't hurt her if she a part of him. He doesn't know how he knows what the fire thinks, if it can at all, but he knows that it's the truth.

The liquid fire in his veins resonates throughout his body, coming to the surface of his skin as though called for. Every surface of his body became layered with his unseen inferno. His inferno is signing, or calling, or screaming, or laughing, or crying or so many other things that he can't name to the flames that are about to consume them. Yet all he wants is Jess to be safe.

The unseen inferno seems to listen to what he wants, as it starts to spread its silk like dry liquid over Jess. He can feel it expanding in greater quantity as it slides from his body over hers, first from where there touching and then in a wave drenching her completely in his liquid fire.

John suddenly panics thinking that he's going to burn her. That she was scared of the wrong thing all along. That she should have shoved him to the floor, left him behind, and tried to make an attempt to escape however futile it was.

Yet she does not scream. She's still standing, face pressed tightly against his chest and gripping him as though her life depend on it and it does.

In the next moment they are surrounded by blinding light which force John to close his eyes. Even though he knew that the fire would not hurt him, it took a moment to realise that he was not burning and about to join so many of the charcoaled figures that now litter the room.

It is to the feeling of soft, loving, caresses along his body that gives him the courage to open his eyes. No longer is it a blinding light, but a enthral glow that surrounds them. Thousands of shades of yellow, red and orange surround them, with tinges of blue and green blending within the ever moving curtain of fire that is draped over their bodies. Tendrils of the flames licking not at his skin, which he first thought, but at his own invisible inferno coving both him and Jess, sending sparks of pleasure throughout his entire body.

A sharp gasp of breath and the feeling of Jess stiffening in his arms pull his attention away from a wonder that he will never tire of seeing, to the panic look on Jess's face as she quickly faces the flames only to bury her face back against his chest.

"What's happening?" Jess shouts, voice slightly muffled against his chest, over the still present screams and the roar of the fire surrounding them. Yet the screams fall backwards against the song that the flames sang for him, so old, natural and powerful that it could only be compared to an orchestra of angels playing their instruments with notes no mortal was ever meant to hear, and yet he could hear it, could feel it as strongly as the flames caressing his body.

John swallows, tightening his harms around her "It won't heart us" he says not ready or knowing how to answer the question.

They both stand there, locked embracing one another for what seemed like an eternity, yet could have also been seconds. John listened to the fires song. He began to feel him and the fire merging with one another, becoming whole. He could sense ever ember of flame, from the ones gliding harmlessly over them, to the ones turning wood, plastic and people into ash.

It was sickening and thrilling to feel the power of how the flames move, consuming everything within its path, an unstoppable force emanating pure divine power. Yet the feeling of the flames, when they came into contact with flesh, burning tendrils seeping over and into bodies, attacking every cell of their being cause bile to flood his mouth. He does not want to feel every flame turning a person's skin into liquid, boiling their intestines and cooking their organs. He wants them to stop. He needs them to stop.

Panic consuming him, he loves the flames but what they were doing was wrong, he does not want to have to feel this. Yet the power they embody elates him. This power was a part of him, he owns it, and he could now see tendrils of his own inferno, having webbed its way throughout the fire, touching every atom joining them both as one.

Following the webbed network with more of his inferno, until it touches the very edges of the flames, he pulls them towards him.

Shock fills him with the immediate effect of bring the once spreading flames crashing backwoods on its self. He could not let go, he pulls on every tendril that was seeping out of his own body. Pulling the fire to him from every direction it burnt. The blaze came crawling towards him, growing smaller and smaller as it was pulled back on itself, no longer was it permitted to roam free. Until finally, the only flames left in existence were the ones circling the two figures clinging to one another.

Pulling one final time, the flames seep willingly into the liquid coil surrounding the two of them. Bringing his liquid inferno from around them, he releases his hold and it draws back within him.

"Jess" John calls, grabbing her shoulders and taking a step back to look around the charred remains of the room. Blackened bodies, walls and furniture scattered everywhere. The crisp smell of ash, married with scorched flesh permeated the air around them. Low sounding whimpers of pain of those that had survived fall beneath the cacophony of voices from the floor below.

"MATT" Jess screams, frantically looking upon the destruction that surrounds them "MATT"

Spreading out they start moving over the blacked floor, stepping over hardly recognizable human figures, checking whether or not the others of their group had become victims of the harsh flames.

"MATT! JAMIE! OH GOD…..EMMA! RICH!" Jess screams through broken sobs "Pleases please…" tears falling fast down her face "PLEASES MATT".

Nothing.

They could not recognise the burnt coupes no matter how closely they looked. The few that were withering in pain were not the ones that they were trying so desperately to find.

"MATT" her voice so filled with pain from their futile search resonates throughout the room.

John grabs her by the shoulders only for her to try and push him away, yet he clams his fingers into her flesh trying to make her focus on him through the shock.

"Jess there not here" he says, hoping that the masses of unrecognizable corpses did not contain the remains of his newly meet friends. "Maybe they got out".

Jess face transforms form desolate despair into hopefulness.

"Yeah" she nods frantically.

Taking her hand John pulls her across the floor, over crisped bodies, down the stairs stepping over more bodies, many of which had not been touched by a flame, and through the set of double doors. There they were greeted with the hysteria of the few remaining people still trying to get out of the club.

The fresh chilled air, a sharp contrast to the burnt rancid smell within the club, assaulted them as the stepped through the clubs large exit. Previous club goers and curious passers-by littered the street, forming a large crowd which the two become engulfed in.

Crying and names being called out fill the late night. The high pitch sounds of approaching sirens hovering over the growing mob as the police, ambulances and no longer needed fire engines attempt to make their way through the mass of bodies.

"MATT" Jess screams adding her voice to hordes of others. Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze John drags her behind him as they move through the packet bodies looking for a recognizable face.

"JESS!" a male voice shouts out as they near the edge.

"MATT" Jess screeches, flinging of Johns hand and turning to the left were Matt is roughly bursting through the crowd.

"Oh God" she sobs as the throws her arms around his waist and hiding her head under his chin letting out a cry of relief.

"Thank God you're ok" he exhales as he raps his arms around her in what must be a bone crushing embrace as he peppers kisses to top of her hair.

When they finally break apart they both have large smiles spread across their faces as they look into each other's eyes. Looking round his shoulder Jess shouts out "EMMA" raising an arm to bring the other girl into the hug. Emma starts crying uncontrollably between the two of them.

"Where are the others?" Jess asks after a moment, looking around again trying to spot Rich and Jamie. Emma's hysterical sobs and Matt's sad eyes fill John with a sense of dread. Even though he had just met them, they both seemed like nice people.

Jesses smiles falls immediately from her face, replaced with such broken sadness that it pulls the strings of his heart.

She does not say anything, hiding her head once again against her boyfriend's chest. Silent tears slide down her cheeks and a small broken sound escapes her throat emanating that of a dying animal.

"I'm sorry" Matt sooths as he runs his hands up and down her back "I'm so sorry baby".

Turning away from the three embraced, not really knowing what he could do or say to comfort her, John takes in the seen around him.

Uniformed officers had managed to make their way through the crowd, pushing people back away from the burnt out club. Fire officers in their bright yellow uniform with masks and axes where streaming in and out of the double doors. A collection of ambulances where situated just behind the fire trucks tending to the injured. Police officers were meandering their way through the crowd collecting statements of what they saw.

John freezes when he overhears an elder women saying to one officer how the flames where billowing out of the building, how they started to spread to its neighbouring building when suddenly they froze and stated to retreat back into the club.

"It looked like wind was blowing the flames right back inside" she states as an elderly gentleman next to her nods along, "but there wasn't any wind that we could feel you see. It was very strange, I don't know what to think but it wasn't right, wasn't natural" she shakes her head as she finishes.

"John" Jesses hand on his arm turning him around to see Jess and Matt looking at him with curious eyes as Emma continued to cry against Matt "what happened in their" she whispers but sounding like an almighty scream to his ears, forcing him to take a step back, blood draining from his face.

"John" she says again reaching out a hand to stop him, yet it was too late. The fear coursing through his body was almost over powering. He takes another step away from her looking for an escape. "John" she calls with more volume and desperation lacing her voice forcing him to look her in the eyes. He could see the confusion and fear in her blue orbs, but also concern. It was too much for him to take.

Giving one last quick look over her shoulder, where Matt had taken a step forward coming up behind Jess. Looking at Jess one more time in the eyes he turns his back on her and violently starts pushing his way through the crowd. As he reaches the edge of the thinning crowd he breaks out into an almighty sprint. The last thing he hears before the air around him was blowing past his ears was Jess's pained shout of "JOHN".


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

He ran until his lungs burnt with every breath he took, until his legs burnt just as fearsly as the fire had in the club. He ran until concrete turned to sand under his feet, until the sound of people, cars and civilisation turned into the tranquil lap of water climbing the shore of the beach. He ran until he could not run anymore. His strides failed, causing him to fall face first onto the cool sand below.

Sand filled his mouth with each ragged breath he took.

Rising to his knees John spat out the vile grit creating dark ovals against the moonlit sand.

Running both hands through his hear, eyes closed, he pulled sharply at his sandy locks. He needed to focus. He needed to get his head around what had just happened. He needed to know what he was going to do next.

Bile rose in his throat as he remembered the stench of burnt flesh that had permeated the air around him only moments ago, or was it hours he could not tell. What he did know, what had been made absolutely clear to him tonight, was that there was something wrong with him.

Just remembering looking at the burning glow and feeling a sense of completion, when he should have had felt fear, was enough to make him question his mental stability.

He had felt the flames before they had burst through the doors. He had managed to survive when in all rights he should have had burnt with the others. Yet most frightening of all was remembering the feeling of the burning inside of him. How it had seeped out from his centre and glided across his skin. How it had webbed its way throughout the fire. The complete connection he had had with the fire. It had been on such a level that every flicker of flame had felt like it had been an extension of his own body. The overwhelming beauty and power of being connected to something so wild and independent had made him giddy with euphoria.

Yet that was not normal. The old woman's words ricocheted around his head "it wasn't right, wasn't natural", over and over. He wanted the endless cycle to stop. He did not want to think anymore. He wanted the images of broken burnt bodies out of his head.

Bringing his legs out from under him, hugging them against his chest, he stared out over the black waves. His eyes watched the moonlight skim across the surface of the waves. Yet he saw nothing but the images of the club. . The images of burnt bodies and charred walls would forever be ingrained within his mind.

It was not until the sky started to turn a pale blue was he brought out of his memories. Dragging himself to his feet, brushing of sand from his borrowed trousers he finally looked around in an attempt to figure out where he had landed himself. The area was devoid of people, no buildings were littering the side of the bank. Wild shrubs were merging with the pale white sand against its banks. In the distance he could make out the pier as a black line stretching out over the clear blue water, which was now sparkling with the reflected rays of the rising sun. It became apparent that he had run quite a distance last night. If he was remembering right the house that he was squatting in was around the same distance for his current location to the pier on the other side.

Pulling Matt's black shirt, with the blood red flower, over his head and tucking it half way down the back of his trousers, so that it swung behind him in the cool breeze that was flowing in from over the water. Removing his trainers, socks and rolling up the bottoms of his light grey chino trousers. He revels in the feeling of cool sand under his bare feet. Picking up his trainers he starts to walk towards the jittered out black strip stretching over the blue water.

The sun had nearly set by the time John's feet finally landed on the stretch of road leading to the house in which he was staying in. Time seemed to have had stopped during the walk. One minuet he had been on the beach and the next he was walking up the gravel path to the deformed building which he was going to spend one more night. It had taken the walk back to the rotting house for him to put a name to what he was. How he had been able to control the fire last night. It had scared the shit out of him when the word _mutant_ had finally hit him.

Stepping through the decaying front door, John made his way across the floor to the back wall, where he had claimed as his sleeping pit for the past few months. Only having to stop in the middle of the room when he noticed a moth bitten black cotton jumper with light green stripes sprawled out across his sleeping area.

Anger rose up from within his chest causing him to grit his teeth and ball up his fists. He had not been back for one night and that fuck Gavin had taken his place. He wanted to find that greasy yellow tooth bastard and slug him.

As if in answer to his silent desire the gentle ember inside of him started to stir.

Taking deep breaths through his noise and exhaling slowly John attempted to rein in his anger. There was little point in getting into an argument, which would no doubt end in a fight, when he was leaving tomorrow. One last night here was all he had left anyway.

Turning and making his way back to the door he slid down the wall where no one had yet clamed for sleeping. He pulled his borrowed shirt out from the back of his trousers and pulled in over his head. The last rays of light were still streaming through the shattered windows yet he felt exhausted. He was tired from walking all day and from the events of last night, everything seemed to be catching up with him.

His stomach gave a painfully cry of hunger, which he ignored. It was not the first day that he had went without eating anything and he had become accustomed with pushing the hunger out of his mind. There were more important things to worry about than the slight pains of hunger, the most important of which was where he was going to go.

Closing his eyes John let his face fall into his hand cursing his stupidity. His bag, his bag with his jacket and his clothes, his bag that he had stupidity left at Jesses last night which contained all of his meagre possessions. He could not start again with nothing, not when he had the essential in a flat not too far from the bird.

Tomorrow was meant to be his late shift at the coffee shop. If he was remembering right Jess would be on the early. Yet there was a chance that she would not go into work due to what had happened last night. Yet he would have to risk it, maybe she did not tell Matt what had happened. Maybe she would go to work and he would be able to get his gear and grab what he had left in his locker. He could be on his way out of the city before nightfall tomorrow.

He needed to leave; there was no way in which he could stay now that he knew what he was. It would only take a matter of time, if they had not already, for people to blame the entire club blaze on mutants.

The mutant population in the east did not have the same large numbers that were located in the west.

He had learnt about the X-gene defection - as had everyone else - in social politics whilst at school. They had been taught that the ones who carried the abnormal x-gene possessed inhuman power due to a flaw in their genes. As a consequence of carrying the x-gene was that it compromised their emotional psyches balance. The powers gained from the x-gene, coupled with the emotional instability that the mutants posed made them dangerous. They had been taught that no matter how controlled they may seem to be, sooner or later mutants lost control of their powers and inevitable they would become a threat to those around them.

That was why they had created the Australasian Mutant Registration Assistant Act 1978. The AMRA Act was meant to assist those with the deformed mutant gene by making it law for those that possessed mutant powers to register. So that proper council and medication could be administered in order to subdue temperamental behaviour. Yet in reality the medication had left the subjects addicted to the drugs and had had the side effect of having the subjects so spaced-out that they had been unable to work, let alone for them to partake within society. The AMRA Act had stipulated that those that did not adhere to the counselling and medication were offered relocation. By separating mutants from the normal human population it was thought to eliminate the fears of mutants losing control of their powers and injuring innocents. Yet if the mutant had refused both the treatments and relocation they had been considered a threat. Having had already passed beyond the point of making rational choices due to their willingness to put the general population at risk. Those individuals were forcefully removed from the public domain to receive stronger treatment.

However the creation of AMRA had inadvertently increased public prejudice against mutants. It had fostered discontent between mutants and non-mutants as mutants were seen as a drain on society and possessed volatile behaviour. Yet it had also created strong opposition to the harsh treatment of mutants and increased pro-mutant support groups. Eventually the Act had lost most of its power in forcing medication and segregation. The revision of the act in 1991 removed segregation, medication and counselling, however registration of all those with mutant talents had been upheld.

They had also learnt that other countries had similar legislation in place such as China, Japan and Russia. All of which had a much lower mutant population than that of America and Europe.

Due to the larger mutant population in the west they received more protection against similar legislation. Yet there were still anti-mutant activists within the west. However both sides were able to fight within their countries democracy to each uphold their own definition of freedom.

John shook his head. It was too much for him to think about. Considering before last night he did not really care one way or the other as long as he was left alone it really had not mattered to him. But now he knew that there was no way he was going to registrar. To forever have his name on a database for the government to come looking for him whenever they wanted. Whenever they thought that he had become too big of a threat to affect the status quo.

Scrubbing his heavy eyes and curing up onto his side facing the wall he allowed his exhausted body and mind to drag him into a dreamless sleep.

Looking through the large glass windows of the bird, John could not see Jess behind the counter as he thought that he might have. He had had already gone to her apartment in an attempt to retrieve his bag. Yet Matt had answered the door and told him that she had taken his bag to work for him.

Yet looking around the yellow interior of the shop he could not spot her blond hair and glasses. Feeling relived, John hoped that she had left his bag in the staff room for him to pick up.

Pushing open the door he made his way across the relatively empty coffee shop to the back of the room to the staff room door, where he entered the simple 1234 code and twisted the handle. Stepping through the door he froze on the spot, with his hand still clutching the handle. Sitting at the yellow table, where his orange bag had been placed upon, was Jess.

Jess, with her blond hair tied back in a ponytail running down the centre of her back. She was wearing a baggy white shirt, black shorts and her usual pink glasses. Lifting her eyes form her hands that were intertwined on the table to look John in the eyes.

He could still make an escape he thought, the doors was still open. All he had to do was take one step back and he could be on his way out of here. Yet just as he was about to move Jess's voice stopped him.

"Thank you" she says, still looking him in the eyes. He could see her holding back the shine of tears in the corner of her eyes.

"I….you saved my life John. And I never even said thank you…so" she smiles a slightly watery smile at him before letting out a startled laugh repeating "Thank you".

Caught off guard, not knowing how to reply, he lets the door close behind him as he moves to take the seat opposite her. Keeping his eyes locked on the table he sits down across from her, basking in the presence of another person.

Her presence helping him release some of the tension that he had not realised had joined with the already mighty load he was carrying on his shoulders. With the weight of being alone, with no other option other than to run, he wanted to enjoy this last bit of peace before god knew what would happen.

It was not until a cup of hot dark liquid was placed in front of him that he looked up to see Jess smiling at him as she retakes her seat with an identical cup in hand.

"Lots of honey I promise" Jess says as she takes a sip of her drink. Eying the liquid in her cup she grips the mug with both hands before looking over at John.

John takes his own sip, relishing the feeling of hot coffee and the sweet sensation of honey flowing down his throat.

Clearing her throat Jess says in a quiet voice "So" as John copies her movement and cradles his own mug between his hands, letting the heat seep into his palms "you're a….mutant."

John only nods his head, the drink taking up his focus.

"How long have you known?"

"I didn't" John answers in a quite broken voice. Having Jess say it out loud made his heart beat irrationally. He did not want to be a mutant; he just wanted to be John. He wanted to have a home with his mum, who made him his favourite lemon curd tarts as she had always done on Sundays. But he could not have that any of that anymore. He was not even fully human anymore. He was something different.

Taking a deep breath, getting annoyed with himself for moping about something that he could not change, he continued in a much stronger voice "Just. I felt it. It was like a pulling sensation here" John reaches up stabbing a thumb just under his heart. "It was like it wanted me to come meet it. And when the flames came out through the door, it was like I'd never really seen fire before." Taking another gulp of coffee before looking Jess in the eyes, smiling as he remembers the feeling of being so close to the flames. "It was amazing. The sight of it, the feel of it, even the sound of it was amazing. Intoxicating."

As a look of pain crosses Jess's face, John ducks his head feeling guilty of what he was saying. "I'm sorry" he says to the table. He was unwilling to look her in the eyes again after admitting what he had. He knew that she had lost her friends to the flams that he was reverently referring to. "About Rich and Jamie" he swallows the lump in his throat "I would have saved them if I could have".

Trying not to be a coward he raises his head to look at her. She had her face bowed and was wiping under her glasses with one hand as the other shakes minutely on the table. After a minute, Jess grips her cup again with both hands. She looks at John with a sad smile on her face.

"I know you would off" she states with such strong conviction in her quite voice. He could feel the burden of gilt that he had been ignoring since the other night, thinking about the what ifs, lessen with Jess's five words. Nodding his head in thanks he drains the last of his drink.

"What are you going to do now?" Jess questions and nearly shouts "You're not going to registrar?" more demand than a question.

The look of panic on her face shocks him, even though it should not. Not after she had stayed with him when the blaze was going to consume them. Yet it was still an unnerving feeling having someone care for him in a way that his mum had.

Shaking his head and seeing relief flood Jesses face makes his heart clench. Thinking that this is the first real friend that he has had in a long time, yet knowing that he would not see her again.

"I'm leaving" he states, struggling to get the words out. It is the last thing that he wants to do now that he has some one, but he knew that he had to leave. Jesses nod of approval reiterates that fact "Tonight".

"Where will go? Back home?" She aske's with trepidation in her voice, as though some unknown factor was trying to find a place to settle. At the shake of his head her eyes grow wide "Is that why you're traveling?"

In that moment he wanted to tell her everything. Everything that he remembered from the last night he was home. Everything from before he awoke in that park, panicked and alone, knowing soul deep that he could not go home. The thought that maybe his mum found out that he was a mutant and kicked him out because of it was something that he had never thought of before. The thought of it caused his heart to drop and unexpected anger to flare in his chest, the feeling of his quiet ember suddenly burning harsh inside him fuelled by anger. Taking a deep breath he looks at Jess and knows that he cannot lie to her.

"I don't know" is all he can say. She looks as though she wanted to get up and hug him, a feat that he knew he would not appreciate. Yet before she can make a decision the door from the floor shop opens, causing both John and Jess to turn in their seats to see who it was.

Standing in the doorway was a woman, about mid-twenties. She was shorter than him around 5'11. She was wearing black leather trousers, a dark blue button down t-shirt that flowed flawlessly around her chest, and what looked like black motorcycle boots. Her short, dark red hair was flowing free, framing her attractive face and light brown eyes. Brown eyes that flickered between him and Jess before settling back on him. Staring into John as though her eyes could give her answers to questions she had not even asked.

The woman smiles kindly at him before saying in a calm, distinctive American accent "John Allerdyce".

He freezes, not knowing what to do. His heart beats rapidly, trying to jump out of his chest.

Her smile remains the same, kind and friendly "My names Jean Geay"


End file.
